We attended a bridal shower in the upstairs room. It was very nice and comfortable. Staff was very polite and helpful. The fish tacos were ok.
Kelly M.
Wow! What an experience! Our waitress was very friendly but in a strange way. As soon as she seated us she asked if we were ready to order. We asked her for a few minutes, she walks to another table and literally came back in less than 2 minutes. As we were ordering she starts asking us about dessert. Then tells us about a special they have that day that looks amazing. She doesn't know what it's called but says "Did you see A Princess and A Frog? They had them on there". "Do you want to order them?????" Umm....no First my order c Iced Tea: It tasted like plastic. Like the way it smells when you walk into a Dollar Store-that's how it tasted. Oh, and I brought my own sweetener so I know that wasn't it. I drank a few sips but gave up. Surf and Turf plate: Rice: bland, no flavor Beans: Sooooo salty I couldn't eat them and I love salt. I thought maybe it was the cotija cheese but I tasted the beans without the cheese and it was the beans themselves Shrimp & Steak tacos: these were very flavorful, thank God! Finally, my husband's order comes with no mention of how long it took. Because we were running late now, my husband asks for the check and a box. Now, onto his plate... Chipotle shrimp: disgusting! Re-enter the plastic taste! I didn't even finish the one bite he gave me. I spit it out! I don't know what went wrong here but I can't even imagine what would make that sauce taste like plastic! I was certain we'd get sick and was surprised when we didn't! His plate came with a side salad which he said was fine and flour tortillas he didn't eat. Queue back to the strange enthusiasm I mentioned before: Our waitress returns to the table and says "I have your check aaaaand a BOX! As if it's a big exciting end to the meal. I can't even explain it. As we were leaving my husband noticed a couple complaining to the waitress and it appeared he had ordered the same dish (chipotle shrimp). Long story short....we won't be returning.
Paul C.
Do not go here. The service was terrible, but worse we had food poisoning after. Avoid this place for dinner. This ruined our last night in California.
Janet Vandergrift
Delicious lobster love this place.
Deron R.
We really enjoyed our Saturday "seafood brunch!" Complimentary chips and salsa were excellent. The shrimp cocktail and the fish ceviche are so damn good! And they give you so much shrimp. In addition their Chevella is outstanding, with an in-house blend of secret ingredients. Can't wait to try the rest of the menu! Oh theserver was great, super friendly and the place is super clean which shows attention to detail by the owners. We'll be back.
Julianna Delgado Alvarez
The seafood tasted so fresh, the portions were generous, the drinks were delicious, the servers were friendly and attentive. We'll definitely come back next time we're in town.
Bryan R.
Don't be scared of some of the bad reviews below. We were reluctant to try it because of some of the really bad reviews but bad reviews always make me want to find out for myself and we were very glad we did. Starting with the chips and salsa, the salsa is a different color than you might be used to but the flavor is amazing. We ordered guacamole to go with the chips and is was extremely fresh and delicious. The seafood molcajete was some of the best I have had. The calamari was very good as well. Only real criticism is the tartar sauce that came with the calamari was not very good and got set aside, but pretty minor issue. Real star of the place though was our server, Mariela. She was amazing and really a one woman show. Ownership needs to get her some assistance. She was our hostess, our server, and our bartender and she never skipped a beat. All her recommendations were on point and she was very open and honest about what to avoid on the menu. If you stop in, ask for her and tell her we said hi.
Lance Tilton
Overall a good first experience. It was a block from our hotel so we decided to try it out for lunch. The outdoor seating area is really nice with quite a bit of room. Service was great. Our (surf and turf and shrimp) tacos were good but mine could have used more spice/sauce. And our rice and beans were cold.
Penelope Harris
Chilaquiles and a light mojito for breakfast were quite tasty. Dahlia provided good service even as it got busy. The prices were reasonable but not inexpensive, like in their early days Only complaint were the incessant flies. I do love Imperial Beach.
Wm P.
Our favorite new Sunday morning family breakfast spot. Then walk it off by walking the pier and hire of Imperial Beach. You'll be back!
I'm giving it a 3 star for two reasons, the first is that we went there on a Saturday, mid-afternoon and they only had 6 oysters, and tilapia was the only fish on the menu. It is a weekend in a popular area, management should better prepare if they're bringing in fresh product, thats great but plan ahead. Man, I really wanted some oysters and I only got one. The other reason is the service, it was not great. Don't get me wrong, the girls were nice and I totally feel for them but something was going on that day or they're just not well trained in the area because the delivery of our orders was a bit all over the place, a shot we ordered early on didn't arrive until after our main meals were almost done, I don't know about you but I don't like taking shots on a full stomach. Also, I could see customers were waiting long to be seated and I could see/hear the friction in the staff. So, I gave a 3 but the food was good, staff was nice, woulda given a 4. Maybe it was a fluke day but I recommend calling ahead and making sure your preferred menu item is available. And expect wait even if the restaurant is half empty. Hey! I would go back. I would still go expecting long wait times! Just saying
Adam Wagner
Not sure if the oysters were old but stopped eating them very quickly, burrito and calamari where both very disappointing. One of the worst values food per quality I have experienced.
deerak2609
They were out of lime, cilantro and sour cream and they didn't serve beans with our meal ? besides that everything was delicious! ? portions were good its a little pricey but expected for being located at the beach. Wish they stayed open later. Servers were nice.
Sophie Dragos
If I could give this place 0 stars, I would. We waited almost an hour before getting our food and the order was incorrect. The excuse it was taking so long and was incorrect was that there was only 1 cook and he was "used to making it this way". Barely ate any of the burrito, did not want it re-made because it took so long and wanted to leave as soon as possible. Asked to at least remove the burrito from the check, and was told there was nothing they could do. Asked for guacamole for an appetizer and never received it either - over an hour of being told the cook was making the guacamole. The "large" shrimp dinner was 7 pieces of shrimp....
Bren Breithaupt
The food was fresh, tasty, and authentic.I had calamari, beans, guac and chips. The guac was freshly made, but might have been spiced for us gringos. We added their delicious salsa and some salt and pepper and it was perfect. My sweetie had a hot, spicy shrimp soup. They have a large menu, including seafood, traditional Mexican dishes, and breakfast (I believe until 1pm). One of us ordered a mixed drink and it was delicious and nicely presented. They have outdoor, covered patio seating and pleasant music. The service staff were pleasant, prompt, and busily making sure things were tidy and clean when they were not serving customers. The prices are quite reasonable. Parking was easy today (Sunday) but Imperial Beach can be crowded sometimes. It was our first visit, but we will return and bring friends next time and a bigger appetite! Next time I will try the shrimp ceviche and enchiladas. The IB pier is a short walk from the restaurant. See you again soon!
We attended a bridal shower in the upstairs room. It was very nice and comfortable. Staff was very polite and helpful. The fish tacos were ok.
Wow! What an experience! Our waitress was very friendly but in a strange way. As soon as she seated us she asked if we were ready to order. We asked her for a few minutes, she walks to another table and literally came back in less than 2 minutes. As we were ordering she starts asking us about dessert. Then tells us about a special they have that day that looks amazing. She doesn't know what it's called but says "Did you see A Princess and A Frog? They had them on there". "Do you want to order them?????" Umm....no First my order c Iced Tea: It tasted like plastic. Like the way it smells when you walk into a Dollar Store-that's how it tasted. Oh, and I brought my own sweetener so I know that wasn't it. I drank a few sips but gave up. Surf and Turf plate: Rice: bland, no flavor Beans: Sooooo salty I couldn't eat them and I love salt. I thought maybe it was the cotija cheese but I tasted the beans without the cheese and it was the beans themselves Shrimp & Steak tacos: these were very flavorful, thank God! Finally, my husband's order comes with no mention of how long it took. Because we were running late now, my husband asks for the check and a box. Now, onto his plate... Chipotle shrimp: disgusting! Re-enter the plastic taste! I didn't even finish the one bite he gave me. I spit it out! I don't know what went wrong here but I can't even imagine what would make that sauce taste like plastic! I was certain we'd get sick and was surprised when we didn't! His plate came with a side salad which he said was fine and flour tortillas he didn't eat. Queue back to the strange enthusiasm I mentioned before: Our waitress returns to the table and says "I have your check aaaaand a BOX! As if it's a big exciting end to the meal. I can't even explain it. As we were leaving my husband noticed a couple complaining to the waitress and it appeared he had ordered the same dish (chipotle shrimp). Long story short....we won't be returning.
Do not go here. The service was terrible, but worse we had food poisoning after. Avoid this place for dinner. This ruined our last night in California.
Delicious lobster love this place.
We really enjoyed our Saturday "seafood brunch!" Complimentary chips and salsa were excellent. The shrimp cocktail and the fish ceviche are so damn good! And they give you so much shrimp. In addition their Chevella is outstanding, with an in-house blend of secret ingredients. Can't wait to try the rest of the menu! Oh theserver was great, super friendly and the place is super clean which shows attention to detail by the owners. We'll be back.
The seafood tasted so fresh, the portions were generous, the drinks were delicious, the servers were friendly and attentive. We'll definitely come back next time we're in town.
Don't be scared of some of the bad reviews below. We were reluctant to try it because of some of the really bad reviews but bad reviews always make me want to find out for myself and we were very glad we did. Starting with the chips and salsa, the salsa is a different color than you might be used to but the flavor is amazing. We ordered guacamole to go with the chips and is was extremely fresh and delicious. The seafood molcajete was some of the best I have had. The calamari was very good as well. Only real criticism is the tartar sauce that came with the calamari was not very good and got set aside, but pretty minor issue. Real star of the place though was our server, Mariela. She was amazing and really a one woman show. Ownership needs to get her some assistance. She was our hostess, our server, and our bartender and she never skipped a beat. All her recommendations were on point and she was very open and honest about what to avoid on the menu. If you stop in, ask for her and tell her we said hi.
Overall a good first experience. It was a block from our hotel so we decided to try it out for lunch. The outdoor seating area is really nice with quite a bit of room. Service was great. Our (surf and turf and shrimp) tacos were good but mine could have used more spice/sauce. And our rice and beans were cold.
Chilaquiles and a light mojito for breakfast were quite tasty. Dahlia provided good service even as it got busy. The prices were reasonable but not inexpensive, like in their early days Only complaint were the incessant flies. I do love Imperial Beach.
Our favorite new Sunday morning family breakfast spot. Then walk it off by walking the pier and hire of Imperial Beach. You'll be back!
Restaurantji Recommends
I'm giving it a 3 star for two reasons, the first is that we went there on a Saturday, mid-afternoon and they only had 6 oysters, and tilapia was the only fish on the menu. It is a weekend in a popular area, management should better prepare if they're bringing in fresh product, thats great but plan ahead. Man, I really wanted some oysters and I only got one. The other reason is the service, it was not great. Don't get me wrong, the girls were nice and I totally feel for them but something was going on that day or they're just not well trained in the area because the delivery of our orders was a bit all over the place, a shot we ordered early on didn't arrive until after our main meals were almost done, I don't know about you but I don't like taking shots on a full stomach. Also, I could see customers were waiting long to be seated and I could see/hear the friction in the staff. So, I gave a 3 but the food was good, staff was nice, woulda given a 4. Maybe it was a fluke day but I recommend calling ahead and making sure your preferred menu item is available. And expect wait even if the restaurant is half empty. Hey! I would go back. I would still go expecting long wait times! Just saying
Not sure if the oysters were old but stopped eating them very quickly, burrito and calamari where both very disappointing. One of the worst values food per quality I have experienced.
They were out of lime, cilantro and sour cream and they didn't serve beans with our meal ? besides that everything was delicious! ? portions were good its a little pricey but expected for being located at the beach. Wish they stayed open later. Servers were nice.
If I could give this place 0 stars, I would. We waited almost an hour before getting our food and the order was incorrect. The excuse it was taking so long and was incorrect was that there was only 1 cook and he was "used to making it this way". Barely ate any of the burrito, did not want it re-made because it took so long and wanted to leave as soon as possible. Asked to at least remove the burrito from the check, and was told there was nothing they could do. Asked for guacamole for an appetizer and never received it either - over an hour of being told the cook was making the guacamole. The "large" shrimp dinner was 7 pieces of shrimp....
The food was fresh, tasty, and authentic.I had calamari, beans, guac and chips. The guac was freshly made, but might have been spiced for us gringos. We added their delicious salsa and some salt and pepper and it was perfect. My sweetie had a hot, spicy shrimp soup. They have a large menu, including seafood, traditional Mexican dishes, and breakfast (I believe until 1pm). One of us ordered a mixed drink and it was delicious and nicely presented. They have outdoor, covered patio seating and pleasant music. The service staff were pleasant, prompt, and busily making sure things were tidy and clean when they were not serving customers. The prices are quite reasonable. Parking was easy today (Sunday) but Imperial Beach can be crowded sometimes. It was our first visit, but we will return and bring friends next time and a bigger appetite! Next time I will try the shrimp ceviche and enchiladas. The IB pier is a short walk from the restaurant. See you again soon!